olfactory

American  

[ol-fak-tuh-ree, -tree, ohl-] / ɒlˈfæk tə ri, -tri, oʊl- /

adjective

1. of or relating to the sense of smell.

   olfactory organs.

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noun

plural

olfactories

1. Usually olfactories. an olfactory organ.

2. olfactory nerve.

olfactory British  

/ -trɪ, ɒlˈfæktərɪ /

adjective

1. of or relating to the sense of smell

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noun

1. (usually plural) an organ or nerve concerned with the sense of smell

olfactory Scientific  

/ ŏl-făk′tə-rē,ōl- /

1. Relating to or involving the organs or sense of smell.

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olfactory Cultural  

1. A descriptive term for the sense of smell.

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Other Word Forms

• nonolfactory adjective
• olfactorily adverb

Etymology

Origin of olfactory

1650–60; < Latin olfactōrius, equivalent to olfac ( ere ) to smell at, sniff ( ol ( ēre ) to smell (akin to odor ) + facere to make, do) + -tōrius -tory ¹

Example Sentences

Then the team hopes to treat the problem by placing sensor chips in the patient’s olfactory tissue to help preserve or restore scent perception.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

The initial goal is to create a diagnostic test to measure olfactory loss—a marker of Covid-19 and other conditions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Village dogs showed enriched wolf ancestry in olfactory receptor genes, which may support their need to locate human food waste.

From Science Daily • Nov. 29, 2025

The fourth biennial Scent Fair L.A. will celebrate everything olfactory in the heart of the museum district at Craft Contemporary.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2025

We like to regard the olfactory bulb as a sort of archeologic find, and we speak of the ancient olfactory parts of the brain as though they were elderly, dotty relatives in need of hobbies.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Related Words

• audiovisual
• auditory
• aural
• neural
• neurological
• sensual
• sonic
• tactile
• visual